


What do you want for Christmas?

by delusionofcontrol



Category: IZONE (Band)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, KangBi, hyewon x eunbi, i got fed up with angst so have yourself a fluff!!!, kangkwon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:14:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28409088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/delusionofcontrol/pseuds/delusionofcontrol
Summary: Eunbi loves everything about winter and the holidays. Hyewon thinks she gets too excited about it and she doesn’t understand. Who even asks about Christmas gifts after Halloween?
Relationships: Kang Hyewon/Kwon Eunbi
Comments: 2
Kudos: 33





	What do you want for Christmas?

**Author's Note:**

> I know Christmas is over but better late than never! This work is unbeta'd but I hope you enjoy.

A cool shivering breeze made its presence known as soon as she stepped out of her apartment building, tickling the skin of her arms and tinting her cheeks with a faint blush.

She’s only starting her day but her excitement is already getting the best of her. She released an enthralled sigh as she made her way to work.

Eunbi’s mood is impossible not to notice. As soon as she clocked in for work, everyone who looked her way probably thought she’s high on sugar in the early hours.

One person has been observing her ( _in a not so creepy manner, of course_ ) and couldn’t help the confusion show in her face.

_She must be into something_ , Hyewon thought.

“Good morning, Hyewon.” Eunbi beamed at the woman as soon as she passed by her desk. Hyewon turned her swivel chair and stood up to follow the other woman.

She leaned against Eunbi’s table with a squint thrown across the girl.

“I think you’re already having the best morning around here and it’s ‘ _sus’_. What did you have?”

“What are you talking about? Also, where’s my good morning?”

Eunbi continued on fixing the stuff in her cube, with half the attention on her company.

“Yeah yeah, good morning.” Hyewon pulled the empty chair from the adjacent desk and scooted closer to Eunbi’s space. “You’re too giddy for work. I don’t think coffee has ever given me that kind of boost.”

“You know I don’t drink coffee in the morning.”

“I know, because you drink Sprite— which I think is unhealthy, by the way but you do you.” Hyewon shrugged. Eunbi turned to her with a scoff.

“Can’t I just be happy without you going _sus_ on me? I’m starting to think you rain on my parade on purpose.”

Eunbi sported a small pout and Hyewon pursed her lips together to fight the forming smile on her face.

But hey, she thinks it’s cute. She doesn’t know why it’s so fun for her to tease the older girl. A day doesn’t go by without Hyewon teasing Eunbi. It’s already part of her normal daily living. Of course, she’s keeping her boundaries. She gets upset when Eunbi is upset as well. She thinks the girl’s mood is contagious to her...or maybe it’s something else. 

However, she hasn’t really figured it out.

Also, she’s quite amused at the girl for adapting her vocabulary. Eunbi admits she doesn’t follow the trend in slang nowadays but Hyewon rubs off on her from time to time. Hyewon is proud.

“Don’t go sulky on me now.” Hyewon slightly turns Eunbi’s swivel chair to face her, cutting down the teasing so as to not upset the girl at the start of the day.

“Tell me, what’s got you all happy today.”

As if on cue, Eunbi lights up as she focuses on the other girl. She beams at her and jumps a little from her seat as she gives her a piece of her mind.

“It’s cold! Winter is coming— and you know how much I love winter. But that’s not all! That means Christmas is around the corner.”

_What the hell is she saying…_

Hyewon thinks it’s ridiculous but she isn’t really sure why she’s smiling back at Eunbi. A crease starts to form on her forehead but the smile on her face is still there, though looking awkward than it was in the past minute.

“Eun, November just started. The office halloween party was just a few days ago.”

Hyewon states as a matter of factly, face still sporting the awkward smile though she thinks Eunbi is too caught up in her own excitement to notice. Hyewon recalls the recent event in her head where she was asked by Eunbi to dress as the Joker to her Harley Quinn. It took a lot of teasing and begging for both parties but in the end she found herself adorned with face paint and posing for a selfie with the other girl.

It wasn’t a big deal to her since she didn’t have to stress out on what to dress up as during Halloween. Plus, the other girl almost had everything laid out for her. She thinks the only participation she contributed was agreeing to her and attending the event with the girl. She actually had a great time ( _seeing Eunbi and Yena do a tipsy ‘quack battle’ was a big bonus though_ ).

“And? What’s the next important event after that?”

“I...don’t know?” _Halloween is not an important event in Korea though?_  
  


“You can’t think of anything else because Christmas is it.”

Eunbi had a smug expression plastered all over her face. Hyewon doesn’t get why she’s getting all serious about this. She’s clueless as to where Eunbi gets her energy over stuff, but then this is Eunbi we’re talking about. She even gets excited when someone orders food for everyone, like that one time where Sinb volunteered to. _(In Eunbi’s defense, Hyewon got excited that time as well.)_

Their conversation was cut short when the office clock rang, signalling it was time to start working. A few seconds after, Yena came running through the doors shouting ‘Am I late?’ over and over.

Hyewon stood up from her seat and walked back to her desk. But before getting settled in her space, she took one last glance at Eunbi looking gleeful still, making her shake her head.

—————-

Hyewon is all cooped up in her apartment, waiting for the food delivery she ordered earlier. Mondays are always hard but she’s glad it was all over. A good dinner fix would make the rest of the week bearable.

She was busy scanning through the numerous listings on Netflix when she heard a ping from her phone. It was a text message from Eunbi- oh wait, two messages from her.

**_From Eunbi:_ ** _Hyewon, I forgot to ask!_

**_From Eunbi:_ ** _What do you want for Christmas_?

Okay, hold up. She’s seriously asking right now?

Hyewon stared at her phone for a good minute, waiting for Eunbi to send another message saying she’s kidding but to no avail. Sometimes she doesn’t really understand what goes on in her head. She sat up straight and typed in a reply.

**_To Eunbi:_ ** _Ask me again in December_

She laughed to herself as she sent the teasing text back to Eunbi. She knew the girl was gonna throw some cute tantrums at her again.

Wait. Did she say cute?

Before she could overthink that part, it didn’t take long before her phone lit up with another message notification. Unbeknownst to her, she’s sporting another smile on her face while reading over the numerous sad faces sent her way.

**_From Eunbi:_ ** _Fine. I’ll ask you again next week. : > _

**_To Eunbi:_ ** _Sure. If it’s December next week :-P_

**_From Eunbi:_ ** _I’ll make it one for you, Kang Hyewon!_

She snickered. Hyewon is sure Eunbi is going to be tailing her for the rest of the week, or the month if she refuses to give what Eunbi wants. She’s not worried though. It’s probably going to be both annoying and fun for the both of them (but mostly her because teasing the other girl gives her joy, ~~_especially when Eunbi whines and clings to her arm just so she would say yes._ ) ~~

Looks like the countdown to Christmas will be eventful.

—————-

The following weeks were pretty entertaining. 

Eunbi made sure to ask every Monday and whenever they cross paths at work all throughout the week, which was pretty often if you’ll ask Hyewon. They were in the same department and their respective desks were just a few rows apart. Working in an advertising company also gives them opportunities to work in teams. They may not be teamed up in a project right now but they had some stuff to go over with from each other since the project is connected to another team’s project.

It’s almost impossible to avoid the _persistent Kwon_.

Eunbi’s first few attempts were pretty direct, which made Hyewon’s responses direct as well.

The older girl would go on with her tasks as usual but would make segues in conversations to ask Hyewon.

“Hey, Chaewon. Here are the files you asked from the commercial we made in the first quarter. I also included some key notes that could help you for your project.”

“Sweet. Thanks unnie!” Chaewon skimmed the folders that Eunbi handed over and walked away from the meeting table.

Eunbi smiled and walked towards the other person in the area, “Is there anything I could help you with, Hyewon?”

She looked up from her laptop and gave a small smile, “Nope, I’m good. Thanks.”

The other girl leaned over the table and rested her palms on it, as if studying the busy girl.

“I think I need help from you though. Is that okay?”

Hyewon being herself temporarily set aside her work and paid attention to Eunbi. Based on how she knew the girl, it’s rare for her to ask for help or favors unless she’s done all she could do or it’s urgent. Looking at Eunbi now, it looks like she is in need of one.

“I’ll see what I can do. What is it?”

Eunbi bit her lip, as if deep in thought and asked.

“Have you thought of what you want for Christmas?”

Hyewon internally scoffed as a creeping smile made its way to Eunbi’s lips, which she tried not to show (and failed). She just got tricked into one of her attempts. Kwon Eunbi is acting to get what she wants and she’s not going to give in this early.

_Smart Kwon._

Hyewon acted like she was taking considerations and shook her head.

“I’m afraid I haven’t. Sorry, I can’t help you with it. You can ask me again in three weeks.”

She smiled sweetly and the other girl threw a squint back at her. Eunbi nodded to herself, “I see. Well then.”

Eunbi left her alone for the day.

  
  
  
  


The next attempts were challenging since food was involved.

The department decided that the teams should turn in a great percentage of accomplishment before the holidays so that everyone can enjoy their holiday breaks in peace without thinking about work. With that, everyone was packed with workloads from mid-November to December.

There were many days that they worked overtime to meet quotas of the week but they made sure not to take people’s weekends from them so that they can still have rest. Good thing that the company was generous enough to give additional credits in their food allowances and changed the variants of food in the canteen. There was even a time that desserts included cakes and pastries from the famous bakeshop in the city. Hyewon felt like Christmas came in early.

Hyewon does her job and pays attention to details like nobody else. She’s been praised for such commendable work ethics which resulted for her to be entrusted with quality control ever since.

It was Friday, which meant quota was to be met by the end of the day. Everyone else is busy and focusing on their assigned tasks. You can hear keyboards and mouse clicking all throughout the area, with the occasional chatters here and there. Hyewon is going through some presentations when Yena appears by her cube.

“I passed by the second floor and checked the menu of the day. There’s cheesecake on it. Can you believe it?”

_Cheesecake in the cafeteria? Is the company losing it? How are they this generous?_

“Really? That’s nice.”

“It is! I bet it’s very limited. I don’t think I’ll ever get a slice.” Yena huffed and left, murmuring to herself. 

Hyewon realized she’s right; there’s no way everyone gets a slice. She wants one so bad, however, with the amount of files she needs to double check for the day, she’s sure she won’t be able to go there before anyone else like what she did the other day for the vanilla ice cream. _(Chaewon was surprised to see 2 cups of ice cream in front of her at one table while everyone else was still queueing for lunch. Hyewon explained one was for her to enjoy and one cup for them to share if it ever sells out.)_

_I guess I’ll just have to buy some other time,_ Hyewon ponders.

Time passed quickly. Hyewon didn’t have time to go downstairs in the cafeteria as she was too focused on work. She was thankful to Sakura for doing her a favor of buying a meal for her to save time.

The rest of the day was too hectic that she didn’t even notice that office hours are almost over. She wasn’t planning on working overtime, hence the working lunch earlier. Everyone is leaving one by one, wishing each other a good weekend ahead while Hyewon’s body is still glued on her seat, diligently finalizing everything so she can enjoy her weekend worry-free.

Once she saved the submittals in the system and turned off her computer, she stretched out her arms and let out a moan mindlessly. She’s young but her back pain is making her feel like she’s two times older than she is right now. Hyewon is relieved that everyone else left and she can stay cooped up in her bed for the rest of the weekend to recuperate.

“That sounded like a week’s worth of stretch. It must’ve felt so good.”

Hyewon jumped at the voice and turned around to see a small figure standing a few feet away. She was sure she was alone for almost an hour after office hours but Eunbi’s presence says otherwise.

“You’re still here?”

Eunbi nodded, “I was finishing something,” _a lie._ She was just playing solitaire the whole time _,_ “and I was waiting for you.”

Hyewon slung her bag on her shoulder and gave Eunbi a confused look.

“Did you need something from me? You could’ve told me earlier so you didn’t have to wait.”

The other girl waved her hand dismissively, “It wasn’t that urgent. Besides, I knew you were busy. It’s not like I have anything else planned so I figured I’d wait.”

Hyewon was done fixing her stuff so she nudged her head to the side, signalling Eunbi for them to leave. They walked side by side until they reached the elevator.

“I was meaning to give you this.” Hyewon accepted the bag and peeked inside. “What is it?”

“Cheesecake from the cafeteria. I figured you’d want one, and also consider it as a treat for a productive week.”

Hyewon’s face literally lit up at the mention of the dessert and couldn’t fight the smile forming on her lips. It was a tough week (and month) for everyone and this gesture made her heart swell.

“You don’t know how much this makes me happy. Thanks, Eun.”

It’s true, Hyewon is really ecstatic about it. She is so happy that she suddenly hugged Eunbi, taking the air out from the other girl from the unexpected contact. It took her a few seconds to realize what she’s done and awkwardly let go from the embrace.

Hyewon mumbled a soft ‘ _sorry’_ , to which Eunbi just shrugged and looked away bashfully. The elevator ride felt longer than usual. Is it just them or is the elevator felt hot too?

The two almost raced to get out as soon as the doors opened, which ended up to both of them making way for each other. Eunbi figured it would not end if they continued their silly act so she went out first.

The two sat by the bus stop, patiently waiting for their respective rides. They sat awfully close together but no one really minds because you should take the extra warmth you can get in such cold weather.

Eunbi kept glancing at Hyewon like she wanted to say something but wouldn’t say it. The younger girl expelled a breath and raised her brows at the girl beside her.

“What?” She asked, smiling at the reddening nose of the older girl. She looks like a blushing bunny with a red nose and puffed cheeks, it’s cute.

“What do you mean ‘what’?”

“You keep looking at me. Might as well say it before the bus arrives or keep silent about it for the rest of the weekend.”

“You like the cheesecake right?” Hyewon nodded. “So… I was thinking, maybe you could answer my question then since I saved you a slice.”

“Ah, unbelievable.” Both of them chuckled to themselves at the silliness of their situation. “Eunbi, did you just bribe me with a slice of cake in exchange for my Christmas wish list?”

Hyewon was trying to act appalled by the bribe but the other girl was just laughing at her and shrugged.

“Maybe it’s a bribe, maybe it’s not. It was worth the shot. I had to try and see if it changes your mind.”

“Nice try. Thanks for the cheesecake but it’s still a no. December comes next week. You can try your luck again.”

Hyewon stood up and booped the girli’s red nose before riding the bus that Eunbi didn’t notice was already there.

She saw Hyewon sit by the window. The younger girl lifted the bag of cheesecake for her to see and brought her other hand into view with a finger heart. Eunbi stuck out her tongue at Hyewon. Hyewon just laughed and waved goodbye.

—————-

Someone must be turning the gears faster because time is running swiftly and it’s already December.

It’s closer to the holidays but Hyewon feels like pulling her hair out because of the unending deadlines and meetings for the past weeks and the coming days. The whole department is busy, which gives her a little bit of comfort since she’s not going through the stress alone.

The good thing about this whole situation is it’s almost over. She can’t wait to spend the rest of the year chilling alone at home and maybe celebrating with friends as well.

She heard a faint knock against her cube.

“Hey, here are the last batch of proposals and presentations for final checking before this Friday’s submission.” Chaeyeon gave her the flash drive.

“Thank you. I’m glad you guys finished earlier than the target.”

“No worries. We just want this to be all over and get on with the holiday spirit already.” Chaeyeon pinched the bridge of her nose, “I want to focus on my plans for the holidays so bad. It’s been hellish around here!”

Hyewon couldn’t agree more, “You tell me.”

“Anyway, if there are any concerns with the files, you know where to find me or Yena. But I’m telling you, Yena’s gonna be hard to find after this.”

Hyewon chuckled. She hopes the submittals are good to go for publishing so they can all take a break from this. Don’t get her wrong, she loves her job. It just gets exhausting with all the bigger workloads and fast-paced deadlines while the streets outside are screaming jingle bells and snow.

Speaking of Christmas, Hyewon hasn’t been asked by Eunbi yet again for the past days. It’s pretty understandable. Eunbi must be having a lot more on her plate being the other team’s leader. It makes her wonder how she’s doing.

To be honest, she’s kind of relieved that Eunbi hasn’t asked her again. Hyewon doesn’t know what to answer her because she never really thought about receiving gifts. She does know what to give to her close friends though, which is a different situation. She’s content with hanging out with them.

For sure, Eunbi is not going to let her get away with it. She could tell her that she’s fine with anything or nothing at all, but that makes her sound like she doesn’t care. _Should she just tell Eunbi to get her a pair of metamon socks? Why is this such a big deal and why is it so hard?!_

Friday came and half the teams in their department are done with their submissions, including Hyewon’s team. She just left the department head’s office and sent a text in the group chat on the whereabouts of her friends.

A minute later, she received a reply from Yena saying they’re hanging out in the break room, with some follow up messages.

**_From Yena:_ ** _come quick and save us from Eunbi unnie!_

**_From Sakura:_ ** _brace yourself. This one’s lethal today!_

They’re being dramatic as always. Eunbi is probably telling them jokes. Only a few get her humor. Hyewon admits that her humor is different but what entertains her is the way she tells them and everyone reacts badly. It’s entertaining for her to see Sakura’s clueless face, Yena’s defeated expressions, Chaewon’s stifled laughs, and Chaeyeon doubling up on her laughter. Eunbi is a good sport so she never really got offended by their reactions. Plus, who needs others to laugh when she enjoys and laughs at her own jokes first? 

Hyewon tolerates her and Eunbi has her moments.

On the way to the break room, Hyewon is filled with thoughts about Eunbi again. Nothing in particular, really. She just finds herself thinking random things about her and unconsciously smiles at the thought of the girl. This time, she thinks of the present she wants to receive from her.

_What does she want from Eunbi?_

As soon as she reached the break room, she was welcomed with whines and laughter from inside. It didn’t take long before she saw her friends bickering with each other. Yena was first to notice her presence and was quick to stand and hide behind the newly arrived person in the room.

“Kwangbae! She’s acting cute again.” Yena exclaimed with a pained expression. She looked back at the bunch and saw the one she was talking about— _Kwon Eunbi._

She saw the glint in her eyes and right then, she knew they’re done for.

“Hyewonnie~ Yena is being mean to me.”

“Aaah! I told you already what I want as a present. Stop acting cute already!” Yena cried behind Hyewon. The two of them took steps back when Eunbi walked towards them.

“Nope!” Eunbi stood in front of Hyewon, with her face a few inches away from the girl. “I still need Hyewon’s answer.”

Hyewon stood there frozen, not processing the current situation. She’s too busy staring at the brown eyes that seem to be sparkling in her vision.

She’s doomed.

“Hyewonnie~ What do you want for Christmas?” Eunbi acted shamelessly cute in front of her, puffing her cheeks a bit and scrunching her nose. The others are groaning in the background at the sound of it but Yena who was behind Hyewon and saw the other gestures is cringing so hard. Eunbi stayed strong.

Hyewon must be under a spell because opposed to her friends’ reactions, the scene in front of her is quite enchanting that she couldn’t fight the smile forming on her face. Eunbi’s eyes trailed down to Hyewon’s lips as they moved absentmindedly.

“ _...you._ ” 

But before anyone else was able to register what Hyewon was saying (including Hyewon who was slightly dazed), she was being pulled away by a frantic Yena towards the hallways, leaving the group confused.

—————-

It’s odd. 

The week is almost over but she hasn’t encountered even a single subtle question from _persistent Kwon_ after the incident last time at the break room. She doesn’t want to think of it but it seems that the girl is also avoiding her.

It was lunch break so she made her way to the cafeteria to get a proper meal. She looked around to see if any of her friends got a table somewhere. When she spotted them, she swiftly grabbed some sandwiches, snacks, and drinks before walking over.

While making her way over, she noticed that Yena, Chaewon, and Eunbi were there. She also noticed that Eunbi was not eating anything. Good thing Hyewon grabbed a lot of food that she could share with them. She was close enough to hear them but they haven’t noticed her presence yet. She saw Eunbi lean her head against Chaewon’s shoulder with a distressed expression.

“It’s almost a week before Christmas and she hasn’t answered me. I don’t know what gift to give her.” Eunbi whined to her friends. She’s clearly upset and Hyewon felt guilty about it.

“You know what she likes right? You can get her anything anime, games, or food related and she’ll like it. Maybe something from her favorites.” Chaewon tried to appease her.

“Yah unnie, you can get her literally anything and she’ll _love_ it.” Yena butted in with her mouth full. Chaewon looked at her with disgust and threw a crumpled napkin over her, making Yena scrunch her face at the girl. Eunbi just sighed and Hyewon took it as her cue. She walked over and settled her stuff on the table.

“Hey guys, what’s up?”

Everyone greeted her but Eunbi just sat up straight and fixed herself. Hyewon grabbed a sandwich and Sprite, giving it to the girl across her. Eunbi spared her a questioning glance.

“You should eat. You can sulk again later.”

Eunbi pouted while the others watched if she’s gonna follow or not. As soon as she opened the soda, Hyewon can’t help feeling victorious over it.

Yena nudged her side, “Do you know why she’s sulking? That’s your fault.”

“How so?” She asked, feigning innocence. Of course she knows. She just overheard them talk about it. Hyewon is trying to see if Eunbi is gonna confront her on the issue.

“Don’t ask me! Unnie, tell her. This dummy is not taking a hint!” Yena tried to convince Eunbi but she was getting ignored. Chaewon was trying to stop her from making things more complicated.

The other two bickered on the side while the two of them sat in silence. Chaewon asked Yena to put away their trash together and left them alone. 

She looked at Eunbi who was taking the littlest bites from her sandwich. She internally berated herself for taking it this far. Hyewon took the opportunity to ask.

“Hey Eun. Are you upset with me?”

Eunbi just stared at her for what seemed like a whole minute that it made her forget to breathe.

_I know she’s upset with me but how is she real… who the hell looks this good when upset?_

_Okay, Hyewon. Get a grip._

Hyewon tilted her head to the side with a soft questioning look to urge her to open up. A sigh escaped from the other girl’s lips before putting down her food.

“I just don’t get why you won’t tell me what you want to receive for Christmas. It’s almost around the corner and I couldn’t think of anything to get you because you won’t cooperate.”

A frown etched on Eunbi’s face and looked down on her fiddling fingers, avoiding Hyewon’s gaze.

“I don’t need a gift, Eun. I’m already happy with the thought that you want to give me one.”

Eunbi frowned even more, added with a pout. She’s not taking this answer well.

“But still! You can just say anything and I’ll probably give it to you anyway.”

Hyewon is waving her imaginary white flag to surrender. If this is gonna stop her from sulking, then she will cooperate.

“Alright alright. If you insist on giving me a Christmas present, you can give me anything as long as it’s a personal one. It doesn’t have to be something you bought. I just want it to come from you.”

“Really? Are you sure?”

“A hundred percent sure. Are you happy now? Are we good?”

Eunbi looked lost in thought for a moment. It seems hard to not buy anything. However, an idea came to mind and she flashed a gleeful smile at Hyewon.

Christmas is going on as scheduled once again.

—————-

It was the day of the office Christmas party, exactly a week before the actual holiday. The company sent out a memo that there will be two weeks vacation so that they can go home with their families. The employees were more than happy with the announcement.

Since it was a company gathering, all departments were invited into a big party at a nearby hotel. Chaeyeon was blabbering about the raffle, wishing she would be picked to win an airfryer. Hyewon’s group of friends were pretty stoked about that as well, together with the buffet, games, and invited band. It’s like two times better than last year’s christmas party.

“I hope I win cash though. I need to upgrade my computer.” Sakura mumbled behind Yena. They were lining up for the appetizers. Yena looked back at her briefly before taking some fries for her plate.

“Isn’t the bonus enough?” Sakura shrugged and took a fry from Yena’s plate. “I can think of other stuff to buy with those. I’ll save half.”

“Yooo there’s malatang at the other table.” Chaewon was quick to leave the line and went to the other area. The others seemed to find a food they liked and followed the girl. Hyewon stayed put. She wants to check all of the tables. She figured there will be plenty for everyone for the whole night so there’s no need to rush.

“You’re here!” 

Hyewon heard someone exclaim from behind. It was Eunbi looking very excited and into the season. Hyewon glanced at the person behind her, checking if everything’s alright. She doesn’t think Minju minds that Eunbi just cut the line. Minju is too kind and busy bickering with Yuri to notice a line intruder ahead of her.

“Hey, you’re looking festive.” Hyewon teased. Eunbi was wearing a Santa hat blinking with different colors of light. Her cheeks were tinged with red. She’s not sure if Eunbi had some drinks already or she’s just ecstatic.

“I’m digging it actually. Minju kept on telling me to wear it so I told her I’ll cut in line in exchange. I was thinking of taking those cute glasses with Rudolf’s nose from the photo booth but they’re still setting up so maybe later!”

“That would look cute on you.”

Hyewon commented while putting some food on her plate. She glanced back at Eunbi who was smiling and blushing, and looking anywhere else.

“You think so? I was thinking the same.”

Hyewon chuckled, “You seem to be loosened up early. Care telling me what you had?”

“Ah, are my cheeks red? I’m not drunk yet, just easily flushed. I just had two cups of spiked punch from Nako. She kept saying it was good so I tried it. I think I’ll have to check on her later…”

Eunbi is rambling, Hyewon thinks. She’s usually talkative but not like this so the alcohol’s probably swirling in her system right now. She’ll have to check on her from time to time as well, just in case it gets out of hand. Hyewon thinks of limiting her alcohol intake to a minimum so she can take care of her friends.

“You have that thinking face. Don’t worry, I won’t get wasted.”

She’s surprised Eunbi figured her out that quickly. “Sure, I trust you. Just not our friends.”

Speaking of her friends, she’s sure she’s gonna witness a whole level of mess later. Maybe she should ask someone to watch over them with her.

“They’ll be fine!” They reached the end of the buffet tables, “Go enjoy the food. I’ll see you later?”

“Yeah, sure. I’ll be around.”

“Meet me by the indoor garden when the dance starts? I want to give you my present while I’m still sober.”

“I’ll see you then.”

The two parted ways and went on with the party on their own for the next hour. Hyewon indulged herself with great food and company, joining the ridiculous antics of her friends during the party games. Her group is pretty competitive when it comes to games, with prizes or not.

Looking back at the months that have passed, she’s blessed to be surrounded by the same people. She’s glad that she met new ones as well. It’s given that her work can be pretty hectic, but it’s all bearable thanks to them.

Hyewon is not the best when it comes to verbalizing her appreciation to people. But she makes it a point to be there for them as much as she can.

She’s especially grateful for Eunbi. The girl’s presence alone has done wonders. For the past year, they only got closer and knew each other better like no one else did. Sometimes Sakura would ask her if there’s anything between them though she never really gave it much thought. She’s happy with the way things are and she’s not rushing into things.

When she went shopping for gifts, it was easy to buy for her friends. She had a hard time for Eunbi, overthinking about the extravagance or lack of it on the stuff she thought of giving. Eunbi is not hard to please, but Hyewon wanted to give her something special, because that’s what she is to her.

The whole time Eunbi bugged her for what she wanted as a present is the same amount of time she spent looking and thinking of a gift to give to her. It’s ridiculous how she knew what Eunbi would like but she couldn’t think of a single thing that would be good enough. She nagged herself a lot of times for stressing over it since they’re not even a _thing._

She did end up buying a pullover sweatshirt for Eunbi ~~_(and for her. No, it’s not a couple shirt. They’re different colors...)_ ~~Hyewon is slightly embarrassed to give it to her but whatever. She thinks the shirt would be cute on Eunbi and she liked it as well so she bought one for herself. No big deal!

When the MC introduced the first band to perform, it was her cue to go to the indoor garden and meet Eunbi. It was almost empty when she arrived since it was late and the others are preoccupied with their respective events in the hotel.

The atmosphere is romantic and warm, with the Christmas lights and decorations adorning the place. She wasn’t bothered by the cold at all. Hyewon sat down by the bench near the fountain and gazed at the skylight windows. The moon glows radiantly as the snow starts to fall. It didn’t take long before another warm body sat beside her.

“It’s beautiful here.” Eunbi expelled a content sigh, observing the lights and trinkets around them. Hyewon agrees with a nod. “It is.”

“Is that for me?”

Eunbi pointed at the wrapped box that Hyewon was holding.

“Yeah. It’s nothing expensive or anything, but I think you’ll be able to use it during the season.”

Hyewon hesitantly handed out the box to her that Eunbi was more than willing to accept.

“May I open it now?” She asked, and she said yes.

Hyewon watched her carefully untie the ribbon and open the box. The glow in her face made Hyewon feel warm inside. For the numerous times that she’s observed her, she learned that Eunbi’s eyes express the true sentiments of her heart. She adores that gummy smile and bashful glances that she wears.

Eunbi took the clothing close to her, feeling its texture. “It’s warm and soft. I love it, Hye. This is probably the softest one I ever had.”

“I’m glad.” Hyewon felt proud. Maybe overthinking does its magic after all.

Eunbi put it back in the box and set it aside. She pulled out a smaller box from her purse, which is way small compared to the one Hyewon gave her.

The older girl handed it without a word. Her nervousness is obvious, making Hyewon feel the same. She proceeded on opening it and was surprised at the content.

There in the box was a charm bracelet and two colored pendants that caught her attention.

“You said you wanted something personal and it reminded me of the couple bracelets you bought before. I made the bracelet.”

Hyewon took it out of the box and examined it closely. It was beautiful, and knowing Eunbi spent time working on it made it more special than it was.

“It’s beautiful…” The charms twinkled against the lights that reflected on them.

“I wanted it to be made just for you so I thought of pendants and charms that would describe you best.”

“Tell me about it.”

“First is the daisy. I know you mentioned before that it’s your favorite so I looked up what it symbolizes. They meant innocence, purity, and new beginnings.”

Hyewon was stunned at how well thought Eunbi’s present was. Her heart thumped faster. She’s elated.

“Second is ruby. They’re not really the real thing since rubies are expensive.” Eunbi chuckled to herself, feeling less nervous as before. “I wasn’t going to include it originally but my indecisiveness got the best of me.”

“Aside from being your birthstone, I had a crash course about crystals and their healing benefits. There’s a lot of things connected to it but what got me is it symbolizes the sun and is associated with love, especially faithful passionate commitment and closeness. Sorry to go all nerdy about it.”

“No, don’t be. This is the most thoughtful gift ever given to me. I didn’t even know that ruby was my birthstone.” Hyewon beamed at her, making the atmosphere lighter. Eunbi mirrored her smile.

“May I?” Eunbi gestured to the bracelet and took it from Hyewon’s hold, putting it on her wrist.

Hyewon raised her arm to examine the accessory, falling in love with it.

“I’ve read before that ruby also brings self confidence and motivation to anyone who wears it.” She reaches out and takes Eunbi’s hand in hers. “I guess this is me trying my luck.”

They looked at each other, looking for any sign of hesitation but there was none. There was only full of hope and warmth in each other’s eyes, supported by understanding and encouragement with Eunbi’s smile. Hyewon saw it as a chance.

“I don’t know how it happened or how long it has been. All I know is it's there and it’s never going away. I don’t expect you to say or do anything. This is me wanting to let you know what I think and feel.”

“I like you, Eunbi. I really do.” _and it’s a crazy feeling._

Hyewon felt like butterflies escaped through her chest. It was a liberating feeling; the kind that you’d want to encounter again and again. It makes you alive. The sensation triples when Hyewon notices the glistening orbs that stares at her with so much affection and joy. 

Eunbi laughs, making Hyewon confused but she laughs with her. It’s a laugh of sincere happiness that you just can't help but be enveloped with it.

“So I guess I wasn’t hearing things when you said it was me that you want for Christmas?” 

Hyewon bit her lip, “I thought I said that in my head… but yes, you definitely heard that right.”

As soon as she said those words, Hyewon was engulfed in a hug, filling her senses with warmth. She felt Eunbi’s nose brush against her cheek, whispering the sweetest words in her ear.

“Great. ‘Cos you’re all I wanted too.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm an angst person but I appreciate fluff now. Kangbi has been feeding me a lot lately so I wanted to contribute a story. I hope you're all safe!
> 
> If you want to know more about the rubies, here's a reference: https://www.crystalvaults.com/crystal-encyclopedia/ruby


End file.
